Sandburg’s Polz earns third crown

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CHAMPAIGN — On Wednesday night, Sandburg senior Conrad Polz was in the hospital with 103 temperature. Friday and Saturday night at Assembly Hall the only people who were feeling sick were his opponents.

Despite being on antibiotics and suffering a fever, Polz ran the table for the third consecutive season closing out a storied career with his third consecutive state championship by defeating Providence’s Brian Reynolds 7-5 at 160 pounds.

‘‘I’ve had some incredible memories the last four years,’’ said Sandburg coach Mike Polz, Conrad’s father. ‘‘You just can’t put a price on something like this. Conrad has always been self-motivated. Rarely did I have to tell him what to do.’’

The 103-pound final was a classic matchup of veteran vs. a prodigy. Wheeling’s Max Nowry ended a great career with a 3-1 decision over Providence’s Edwin Cooper. Cooper was on top of his game, stopping seven of Nowry’s shots. But the dogged senior struck with an outside single with 14 seconds left in the second period for a 3-0 advantage. Nowry rode Cooper the majority of the third to become the school’s first state champion.

‘‘Max knows what to do,’’ Wheeling coach Neal Weiner said. ‘‘He’s just so persistent, I knew at some point he’d get two.’’

Mount Carmel’s Bernard Futrell (112) took his second consecutive crown, majoring Niles West’s Stephen Robertson 15-5.

‘‘This is one of the goals I had when I came in,’’ said Futrell, who had not allowed an offensive point in 82 matches until he gave up a takedown to Robertson in the third period.

Jon Morrison (119) of Sandburg beat Lincoln-Way Central’s Justin Farmer for the fifth time this season 11-5.

‘‘Last year [losing in the finals] left a bad taste,’’ Morrison said. ‘‘I’ve wrestled Farmer since we were kids. I knew I just had to bring my A-game and I would be OK.’’

Lincoln-Way Central’s Josh Kratovil (135) ended an exceptional career in an odd way. Six seconds into the match, Kratovil went in for a train-double and cracked heads with Prospect Matt Boggess, who went down with a concussion and had to be taken off on a stretcher.

‘‘I just went in on a double, we hit heads and he went down; I didn’t feel nothing,’’ said Kratovil, who won on injury default. ‘‘It’s too bad; nobody wants to win a match this way.’’

Steve Zimmerman (152) exemplified St. Rita toughness by wrestling with a broken thumb as he defeated Belvidere’s Nick Finkenbinder 5-2.

‘‘It’s a relief,’’ Zimmerman said. ‘‘This is the best way to go out as a senior.’’

Richmond-Burton’s Jordan Blanton’s two takedowns in the second period were the difference as he came away with a 8-6 victory over Montini’s Carl Forside (171).

Downers Grove South’s Ben Apland (215) beat Glenbard East’s Pat Walker 2-1 and Montini’s Garrett Goebel (285) decisioned St. Rita’s Kevin Galeher 5-0.